MTN will not implement its proposed automatic 1MB universal bundle

DURBAN – A week ago, MTN informed customers of its intention to make an automatic 1MB universal bundle available to customers, when their bundles expired.

The move was in accordance with the additional changes brought about by ICASA, a day prior to the implementation of the amended End User and Subscriber Service Charter (EUSSC) regulations.

The revised regulations state that where a customer does not make an election (to opt into or out of out-of-bundle), and in circumstances where an operator chooses to continue to provide data services (which means not ending the data session), such services must be on the same terms and conditions applicable under in-bundle usage.

The aim of the automatic 1MB universal bundle was to ensure that customers would remain connected and would have avoided customers being cut off mid-session.

"The automatic bundle was designed to better serve our customers’ connectivity needs and at low rate. Our intention is to provide our customers with user-friendly solutions, off our world-class network, in a manner that best connects them to their daily lives," said Mapula Bodibe, MTN SA Executive: Consumer Business Unit.

Bodibe added, "We remain committed to compliance and respect both the intention and spirit of the regulations and laws that govern our sector and we have also heard the concerns raised by our customers in response to this proposed offering. Our customers have made it clear that they do not want the automatic bundle option and we have therefore taken the decision not to implement the change".

Currently, all customers that have not actively chosen to opt in to OOB usage remain blocked from using OOB data, as per MTN’s implementation of the EUSSC regulations in February this year.

MTN customers continue to have full control of their out-of-bundle (OBB) usage. At any time, a customer can choose to use OOB data or to block OOB data, with immediate effect.

MTN has today also implemented an improved and simplified OOB menu on the USSD short code *135*6#. The updated menu offers customers two simple choices, to either opt-in or to opt-out of OOB usage and they can block and unblock this functionality, as they choose.